Univ.-Prof. Dr. phil. Jana Nikitin

picture of Jana Nikitin

Professorship for Psychology of Ageing at the Faculty of Psychology

Contact Jana Nikitin

 

Curriculum Vitae:

 

1997-2003 Studied psychology at the University of Zurich
2003-2008 Doctoral student at the Institute of Psychology at the University of Zurich (doctoral thesis "When Wanting and Fearing Go Together: The Interplay of Social Approach and Avoidance Motivation")
2008-2014 and 2014-2016 Postdoctoral researcher and senior assistant at the Department of Psychology, University of Zurich
2014 Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology at the Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø
2015 Habilitation in psychology at the University of Zurich (habilitation thesis "Adult Social Development: A Motivational Perspective")
2016-2020 Assistant Professor of Personality and Developmental Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Basel
Since September 2020 Professor of Psychology of Ageing at the Institute for Psychology of Development and Education at the University of Vienna

 

Research areas:

* Goals in social relationships across the lifespan
* Effects of negative age stereotypes on social motivation
* Determinants of preparation for old age
* Interplay between goals and significant life events

"Old age is now our longest and at the same time historically relatively new phase of life, which we must learn to shape both as individuals and as a society. The psychology of ageing contributes to this by investigating factors that enable people to lead autonomous and, in the broadest sense, healthy lives into old age. My research is about promoting the social integration of people in old age, recognizing and overcoming the challenges of older workers and promoting individual preparation for old age." (Jana Nikitin)